In The Journey is the original demo, the first piece of recorded material. Production is sparse and gentle while at the same time, introducing you to the talent of the artist. The New York Times describes Martin ... his... more &raquo unpretentious heartiness helps him focus on every soul singers goal: To amplify the sound of the ordinary heart.&laquo less

Synopsis

Album Description

In The Journey is the original demo, the first piece of recorded material. Production is sparse and gentle while at the same time, introducing you to the talent of the artist. The New York Times describes Martin ... his unpretentious heartiness helps him focus on every soul singers goal: To amplify the sound of the ordinary heart.

Member CD Reviews

Liese S. (lazy) Reviewed on 9/30/2007...

This CD is unbelievably good--every song is brilliant.

CD Reviews

First taste of a great talent

TJ | St.Paul, MN | 06/17/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Martin's first recording, cut in Boston with friends from busking & coffee house gigs, has boogie cuts, jazzy jams, some deep, heavy stuff, and the first taste of his very accessible songwriting. Some of the songs appear on later releases, most notably 'Live Wide Open'. The original cassette closed with a short, very Ray Charles-ish 'America the Beautiful', but the two new bonus tracks,('specially 'Women&Wine'), are a fine substitute."

Just The Best

suz@abilene.com | 08/22/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I own approx 1000 cds, but there are only a handful that I could tell you the exact time and place I first heard the artist and that it made a difference somehow in my life. If I had to choose one over all the others, it would be In the Journey. I first heard Marty at the Bluebird in Nashville in 1994 (and bought the cassette In the Journey), and became a huge fan. All of his stuff is great, but this is the best. The music is glorious, his voice is amazing and I have listened to this music over and over and never grow tired of it. I was thrilled when I could get it on CD, and even have a "spare" in case it gets scratched. Give it a try. What could it hurt? You won't be sorry."

Been following since '90 in Harvard Square

Patrick J. Fetterman | Detroit, Michigan | 12/20/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I first heard Martin singing and playing guitar on the streets of Harvard Square in 89 or 90, and then in Johnny D's in Somerville, MA a few years later, and I liked him so much I bought one of his home recorded cassettes - the talent was just amazing. His sweet, powerful voice with it's honky-tonk, bluesy overtones, and his excellent Chicago swing-blues guitar style come through on every song, whether it's a real swing-blues style (Thirteen Step Boogie) or something a little folksier. I'm honestly NOT a fan of folk music, and I don't think Martin fits that genre's description well, but by breaking the mold he has really held my interest through the years."

This is a perfect album for a Sunday morning...

Stephen Cabral | New England | 02/03/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is something Sexton recorded in a friend's attic back in 1990. He used to sell this on a cassette as he played on the streets of Boston and Cambridge. He sold 15,000 copies which is pretty amazing when you consider the circumstances.

And yes, his vocals sounded great back then as well. The music is an acoustic mix of folk and some really good jazz especially on the Cab Calloway like "Beautiful Baby" and "13 Step Boogie". He also does an reprise of "13 Step" in which he vocally imitates an entire brass section as well as all the various back-up vocals. "Things to Come" sounds a bit like Stevie Wonder meets Sting and he sings "The Way I Am" like a hoarse old man. This is a perfect album for a Sunday morning...it's soothing but not the least bit wimpy. Much jazzier than I expected. "